Material moving apparatus



Se t. 22, 1936. c. D."HENRY 2,055,291

MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS Filedv Aug. 12, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept22,1936.

C.D.HENRY MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1955Sept 1936- c. D. HENRY MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS 7 Filed Aug. 12, 1935 3Sheets-Sheet 3 M w 1 a .3 I W z \j \n A \s\\\ H I 1 H14!!! 4 I1 1 Z 1 11 H 1n 1; en tor tarleEHenzy Patented Sept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATESMATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS Carlo D. Henry,.South Portland, Maine,assignor to Maine Steel Products Company. South Portland, Maine, acorporation of Maine Application August 12, 1935, Serial No. 35,690

16 Claims.

This invention relates to material moving apparatus, and is applicableto both snow plows and earth moving machines, such as bulldozers, trailbuilders, graders, scrapers and the like.

For the purposes of this application I shall discuss my invention in itsadaptation to snow plows in which use it finds a field of immediatedemand. It will be understood however that this treatment is purelyillustrative and in no way limiting, and that the principles apply tothe moving or handling of materials other than snow, as for example,earth, garbage, etc.

Considering the snow plow as typical of the problems presented, I wouldnote at the outset that my invention is equally adaptable to snow plowsof both the V. and the one way or reversible blade type and in wings forsame.

The urgent need for which improvement arises from the increasingconsciousness of the public that a road is not really cleared until itis safe for traflic, which means substantially free from ice as well ascleared from deep snow.

The only way to keep a road free from ice is to remove all the snow asit falls by plowing clean to the surface of the road. When plowing ofthis type is adopted and particularly with a modcm high speed truck, theplow has been commonly constructed with a tripping device so thatcontact with a slightly raised manhole plate or other obstruction willnot wreck the plow and truck and endanger the life of the driver.

The types of trip cutting edge snow plows heretofore on the market havebeen satisfactory in so far as the ability to trip over obstacles isconcerned, but as the public requirement for plowing closer and closeris developed they have become less and less satisfactory, because theyhad a tendency to trip too easily over hubbly ice or ice ruts in theroad which should be plowed oil. This tendency to trip too easily hascaused a chattering of the blade or cutting edge which has tended tomake the plow jump and to leave enough snow and ice to make the roadslippery and dangerous to drive over, and the only remedy for thechattering has been to provide the plow with runners which would raiseits cutting edge slightly off the road surface. This stops thechattering but the cure is as bad as the disease because a cutting edgeraised off the pavement has no chance of plowing clean and ice formationagain results.

I have therefore reached the conclusion that as long as raising theblade with runners does not get clean plowing, and as longasconventional tripping mechanisms chatter without runners,

the solution to the problem is a tripping mechanism that can be leftdown without chattering.

This requires a drastic multiplication of the spring tension behind thetrip and the provision of adequate strength in the construction of the 5same to stand the impact of a collision against this increased springtension without wrecking the outfit.

In the conventional tripping edge the springs act directly against theremovable cutting edge of the plow. The strength of this cutting edge isdefinitely limited by the dimensional limits of State specifications andby the fact that it is the wearing edge of the plow and must thereforebe replaceable and of moderate cost. An edge frequently wears out in asingle storm and its strength and power to resist deformation underimpact, which reduces as it wears approximately in proportion to thesquare of its reduction in width, cannot be alone depended on.

Hence the necessity for the tripping sub-frame constituting theinvention herein. Its advantages will be appreciated when it is borne inmind that every snow plow has to have a sub-frame behind the lower partof the mold board to increase the strength of the mold board plate.

In accordance with my invention, I provide my snow plow with twosub-frames. The upper one conventionally reenforces the mold board. Thelower one is designed to take away from the cutting edge the strains ofimpact built up by the increased spring tension. The two subframes arehinged together with the removable cutting edge bolted rigidly to thelower subframe and these parts, together with the spring mechanism,permit the creationof a tripping device with sufilcient spring tensionto plow clean without chattering and with sufficient strength to tripagainst this spring tension without deformation.

The changeable strength of the cutting edge due to wear no longer existsas..a necessary element to the strength of the trip. Instead the lowersubframe furnishes the strength and is notsubject to wear and thecutting edge takes the wear but is no longer a necessary element to thestrength of the mechanism. Moreover the runners are no longer necessaryand clean plowing and ice prevention become practical under any and allroad conditions.

Another advantage of my tripping subframe is the great saving of timeand trouble when changing cutting edges. Where as in the conventionaltrip the springs act directly and independently against the cuttingedge, each spring must be disconnected when the edge is removed. As theedse is the only connection between the free ends of the springs, theremoval permits the springs to act independently and get out of line,necessitating a fighting of the spring tension when putting on the newedge.

With my trip subframe the springs are always attached to and kept inalignment by the lower subframe and the cutting edge can be changed aseasily as though there were no springs.

In addition to its contribution of safety to the public my inventionproduces a very considerable economy to highway departments in thereduction of sanding bills.

If ice is permitted to form it must be sanded to prevent-accidents. Inmany States the cost of sanding is-more than the cost of snow removal...Only by the complete removal of the snow as it falls can this iceformation be prevented and the excessive cost of sanding be kept undercontrol.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view as seen from the rear of a one way plowblade equipped with a trip subframe in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section thereof showing in full and dottedlines respectively the untripped and tripped positions of the cuttingedge.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the application of my tripping mechanismto a V plow, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the application of such trippingmechanism to the side wing of a wing piowl' Referring to Fig. 1 I haveindicated at iii the moldboard of a one way plow, at ii the upper orfixed subframe, at i2 the lower or tripping subframe, and at l3 thecutting edge of the mold board. The mold board may be reversible, oneway or V-type.

The upper or fixed subframe ii consists of a reinforcing member rigidwith the mold board l0. It affords a support for one or more housings i4containing trip springs i5.

The lower or tripping sub-frame l2 consists of a reinforcing member towhich the cutting edge I3 is attached. If desired or necessary a spacingmember l6 may be fastened to the sub-frame I2. The purpose of thismember is to space the cutter bar downward with relation to the subframell so that more inches of wear can be obtained from the cutting edgebefore it wears up into the subframe II.

The upper and lower subframes ii and I! may be hinged together in anysuitable manner so as to permit the lower subframe I! to trip rearwardlyagainst the action of the trip springs l5 upon encountering any obstaclein the road and thereafter to be returned to original position by saidtrip springs One convenient manner of accomplishing this is to provide ahinge adjacent each trip spring housing I4. I have indicated at 11hingecastings fast to the upper sub-frame ii. These may be formed eachwith a rearwardly projecting generally horizontal shelf area which iscentrally apertured as at l8 to permit the connecting rod IQ of eachspring housing to extend downwardly therethrough. Each casting i1 may beprovided with a pair of spaced depending ears 20 which are apertured toreceive a pivot pin 2i about which the lower sub-frame i2 trips as anaxis. The pin 2i passes through the registering openings 22 in aplurality of spaced pairs of hinge flats .23, which straddle theconnecting rods it. Each fiat pair' 23 is provided with registeringholes adapted to receive a connecting pin 25 which passes through theeye of the connecting rod l9 disposed between such fiat pair.

Thus when the sub-frame i2 is tripped rearwardly by contact of anobstruction in the road with the cutting edge IS, the sub-frame l2 andthe hinge flats 23 pivot around the pin 2| as an axis (see dotted linesFig. 2). Such motion is reslsted by the trip spring l5 which iscompressed as the connecting rod is moved upwardly by the v hinge flats23 and returns the trip sub-frame II to normal position when .thecutting edge it passes over the obstruction.

This may conveniently be accomplished by threading the upper end of eachconnecting rod it into the bottom follower plate 21 of the housing llagainst which plate the lower end of the trip spring it reacts. Theupper end of said spring reacts against the top follower plate 28 of thehousing.

Means are preferably provided to vary the tension of the spring 15. Thismay be accomplished in various ways. One extremely simple method is tothread a plug or its equivalent 30 into the upper end of the springhousing. Such plug is provided with an adiustment screw or itsequivalent SI to which the top follower plate 28 is made fast, theadjustment of the screw 3i being held by any suitable lock nut 32;

Additionally, the upper ,and lower subframes may be hingedly connectedtogether intermediate of the spring housings by still other hingeconnections. This is desirable where the mold board is of anyconsiderable length. As shown, I fasten to the lower or trippingsubframe I! at suitably spaced intervals intermediate of the springhousings a plurality of pairs of spaced hinge flats 33. These extendupwardly and are apertured at their upper ends to receive hinge pins 34which pass through the aligning apertures of a plurality of hinge flats35 rigid with the upper or fixed subframe I I.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated my tripping mechanism applied to a V plow.The removable cutting edges of the plow mold boards are indicated at i3.These are bolted or otherwise fastened in any desired manner to thelower or tripping subframes i2 which in turn are hinged to the upper orfixed sub-frames ii' by means of the hinges and spring assemblyindicated generally at It.

Thus the two cutting edges are hinged parallel to the respective sidesof the V. They are permitted to trip at their juncture point by reasonof -a tapered nose riding bar 31 which is inserted between them at theapex of the V with its rear sides at right angles to the hinge line andits front side sharply tapered so that if an obstacle is struck in theexact center or apex of the V the tapering nose riding bar 31. will turnthe plow sideways the few inches necessary to reach the tripping edge.This bar 31 is so narrow in practice and so tapered that substantiallyno shock results from a centered obstacle and from this point to theextreme rear ends of the V the plow is fully protected by the twocutting edges.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated the application of my tripping mechanism tothe side wing of a wing plow. In this figure the numeral 38 designatesthe wing. The cutting edge of the wing is indicated at l3a, the lower ortripping sub-frame at Ma, the upper or fixed sub-frame at Ila and thehinge and spring assemblies at Ma.

The application of a trip edge to a V plow is novel in the art and ismade possible by this invention by reason of the greater spring tensionpermitted thereby. The problem is complicated by the fact that v plowsrun much heavier than plows of the single moldboard type. The addedweight increases the normal friction by the cutting edge and the roadsurface and types of trip heretofore on the market have not hadsufficient spring tension to hold thetrip edges in position against thisincreased frictional resistance. With the tripping sub-frame, V plowscan be and have been built and are practical. 1

Similarly as to the application of the trip edge to the side wings of asnow plow where the problem is made even more complex by the veryconsiderable length of the wings themselves and the angle at which thewing is disposed, particularly the high-lifted wing, when the wingcontacts an obstruction.

Thus the tripping sub-frame is equally practical and advantageous onplows of the double moldboard or V type and also on side wings which areeven more liable to collision than the main plow because they work somuch off of the shoulder of the road where obstacles occur morefrequently than in the centre of the road.

Various other modifications in uses and struc- What I therefore claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. In material moving apparatus, the combination with a mold board anda cutting edge separate therefrom, of a sub-frame pivoted to the lowerend of the mold board and approximately coextensive with the mold boardand reinforcing the cutting edge, and a plurality of springs attached tothe sub-frame and reactive between it and the mold board whereby thecutting edge may be replaced without interfering with the adjustment ofthe springs, said springs normally maintaining said cutting edge incutting position but yieldable to permit said sub-frame to move in thedirection of impact whenever the cutting edge encounters resistancesufiicient to overcome said springs and returning said sub-frame memberto normal position after said cutting edge has passed the obstacle whichcaused it to trip said sub-frame.

2. In material moving apparatus, the combination with a mold board and acutting edge separate therefrom, of a sub-frame pivoted to the lower endof the mold board and approximately co-extensive with the mold board andreenforcing the cutting edge, a plurality of compression springs actingbetween the mold board and subframe and exerting their power in a linesubstantially at right angles to said sub-frame, and a connecting rodbetween said sub-frame and each spring effective with said spring tonormally maintain said cutting edge in cutting position but yieldable inan upward direction to permit said sub-frame to move rearwardly andupwardly whenever the cutting edge encounters resistance sumcient toovercome said springs and returning said sub-frame to normal positionafterv said cutting edge has passed the obstacle which caused it to tripsaid sub-frame.

3. In a snow plow, the combination of a mold board and a cutting edgeseparate therefrom, of an upper fixed sub-frame approximatelyco-extensive with said mold board and to which the lower edge of themold board is rigidly fastened, a lower tripping sub-frame pivoted tosaid fixed sub-frame and carrying and reenforcingsaid cutting edge, anda plurality of compression upper sub-frames and reactive against saidlower I sub-frames for normally maintaining said cutting edges incutting position, and a nose riding bar mounted between said cuttingedges at the apex of the V nose.

5. The combination of claim 4, the nose riding bar being relativelynarrow and tapered at its forward edge.

6. In material moving apparatus, the combination with a mold board and acutting edge sep-, arate therefrom, of a fixed sub-frame rigidlyattached to the lower edge of said mold board, a

, tripping sub-frame pivoted to said fixed subframe and carrying saidcutting edge, and yieldable means mounted on said fixed sub-frame andreactive against said tripping sub-frame for normally maintaining saidcutting edge in cutting position, but yieldable to permit s'aid trippingsubframe to move in the direction of impact whenever the cutting edgee'ncounters resistance suflicient to overcome said yieldable means andreturning said tripping sub-frame to normal posi-' tion after saidcutting edge has passed the obstacle which caused it to trip-saidtripping subframe.

7. In material moving apparatus, the combination with a mold board and acutting edge separate therefrom, of an upper fixed sub-frame rigidlyattached to the lower edge of said mold board, a lower trippingsub-frame pivoted to said fixed sub-frame and carrying said cuttingedge, and a compression spring mounted on said fixed substacle whichcaused it to trip said tripping subframe.

8. In material moving apparatus, the com.- bination with a mold boardand a cutting edge separate therefrom,-of an upper fixed sub-framerigidly attached to the lower edge of said mold board, a lower trippingsub-frame pivoted to said fixed sub-frame and carrying said cuttingedge,

both of said sub-frames being mounted, respectively, at the inner orrear faces of the parts to which they are attached, a compression springmounted on said fixed sub-frame, and a connecting rod between saidspring and said tripping subframe and effective with said spring tonormally maintain said cutting edge in cutting position, but yieldableto permit said tripping sub-frame to move in the direction of impactwhenever the cutting edge encounters resistance sufiicient to overcomesaid spring and returning said tripping sub-frame to normal positionafter said cutting edge has passed the obstacle which caused it to tripsaid tripping sub-frame.

9. In material moving apparatus. in combination, a mold board and acutting edge separate therefrom, a fixed sub-frame rigid with said moldboard, a spring housing mounted on said fixed sub-frame and containing acoiled spring, a hinge member carried by said fixed sub-frame andcarrying a pivot-pin, a tripping sub-frame carrying said cutting edge, apair of hinged members carried by said tripping sub-frame and pivotingaround said pivot pin as an axis, and a connecting rod pinned to saidhinge pair at one end and reactive against said spring at its oppositeend.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the first named hinge member isapertured to permit the connecting rod to operate therethrough.

11. The'comblnation of claim 9 wherein the tripping sub-frame isadditionally hinged to the fixed sub-frame by hinge means independent ofsaid first-named hinge connections.

12. In material moving apparatus, the combination with a mold board anda cutting edge separate therefrom, of a fixed sub-frame rigid with saidmold board, a tripping sub-frame pivotally connected to said mold boardand carrying said cutting edge, a hinge member carried by said fixedsub-frame and carrying a pivot pin, a pair of hinge members carried bysaid tripping sub-frame and pivoting around said pivot pin as an axis, aconnecting rod pinned at one end between said pair of hinged members, afollower fast to the opposite end of said connecting rod, a springhousing mounted on said fixed sub-frame and containing said follower,and a coil spring within said housing and reactive between said followerand the opposite end of the housing for normally maintaining saidcutting edge in cutting position.

13. In material moving apparatus, the combination with a mold board anda cutting edge separate therefrom, of a fixed sub-frame rigid with saidmold board, a tripping sub-frame pivotally connected to said mold boardand carrying said cutting edge, a pivot pin about which said trippingsub-frame pivots as an axis, a hinge member carried by said fixedsub-frame and carrying said pivot pin, a pair of hinge members carriedby said tripping frame and pivoting upon said pivot pin, a connectingpin disposed through 'said pair of hinge members, a connecting rodpinned at one end between said pair of hinged members by said connectingpin, a follower fast to the opposite end, of said connecting rod, aspring housing mounted on said fixed sub-frame and containing saidfollower, a coil spring within said housing and reactive between saidfollower and the opposite end of the casing for normally maintainingsaid cutting edge in cutting position, and an additional hingeconnection between said fixed sub-frame and said tripping sub-frame andindependent'of said first-named hinge connections.

14. Material moving apparatus, comprising a mold board and a renewableand replaceable cutting edge separate therefrom, a tripping mechanismcoacting with said cutting edge to normally maintain it in normaloperating position and comprising an upper sub-frame and a'lowersubframe, the cutting edge being rigidly but demountably attached tosaid lower sub-frame and being reinforced thereby throughout its entirelength, the upper sub-frame being rigidly attached to the lower edge ofthe mold board, and the lower sub-frame being hinged to the uppersub-frame, and at least one spring attached to the lower sub-frame andreactive against the upper sub-frame and acting to hold the twosubframes in normal position under normal conditions but permitting thelower sub-frame to pivot on its hinge when the cutting edge encountersresistance suillcient to overcome the power of the spring.

15. In a snow plow having a mold board and a cutting edge separatetherefrom, a tripping sub-frame carrying said cutting edge and hinged tothe lower end of said mold board, and a plurality of springs attached tothe sub-frame and reactive between it and the mold board whereby thecutting edge may be replaced without interfering with the adjustment ofthe springs, said springs normally maintaining said (cutting edge incutting position.

-16. In a snow plow having a mold board and a cutting edge separatetherefrom, an upper subframe rigidly attached to the lower edge of saidmold board, a lower tripping sub-frame carrying said cutting edge, ahinge connection between said sub-frames, and a plurality of springsattached to the lower sub-frame and reactive against the upper sub-framewhereby the cutting edge may be replaced without interfering with theadjustment of the springs, said springs normally maintaining saidcutting edge in cutting position.

CARLE D. HENRY.

